NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-14-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: October 14, 2025

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In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand why distant events matter here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, Amlakshmi Singh. The suspect in April's arson attack on Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro's home is being ordered to serve 25 to 50 years in prison. Cody Balmer pleaded guilty today to two dozen counts including attempted murder. Shapiro says he has carried an enormous sense of guilt that doing the job he loves has put his kids' lives at risk.

How were they able to get so far into the governor's residence, the place that was supposed to be the safest, place we could possibly be. As you saw from the videos that the district attorney played, he was able to penetrate the residents right up to a door that led to the hallway where we were in our private living quarters. The Democratic governor says today is an example of real accountability for acts of political violence. Democrats joined Republicans in issuing similar calls against political violence in the aftermath of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk's assassination in Utah last month. Thousands of federal workers have received layoff notices since the government's shutdown began two weeks ago. This week, a federal judge in California will hear arguments challenging the

administration's mass layoffs. Here's NPR's Andrea Shue. The lawsuit originated with a memo issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget a week before the shutdown. It suggested that the Trump administration might permanently lay off some federal workers. instead of temporarily furlowing them if funding for the government lapsed. Unions representing more than 800,000 federal employees sued the Budget Office and its director, Russell, vote, to block any shutdown-related layoffs. The unions argue that the Trump administration has no authority in a shutdown to get rid of government functions mandated by Congress.

They also argue that the White House is violating federal law by requiring federal employees to perform work related to a reduction in force during the lapse in funding. Andrea Shue, NPR News. Israeli authorities have identified the bodies of four deceased hostages whom Hamas handed over from Gaza. More from NPR's Daniel Lestrian. An Israeli autopsy has identified the remains of the four bodies handed over Monday. The Israeli military says it believes one 26-year-old Israeli hostage was injured in the October 7th attack two years ago and died of his wounds, accusing Hamas of not giving him proper medical care.

It says it believes another hostage, a citizen of Nepal, was killed. killed in captivity during the first months of the war. The identities of the other hostage bodies returned have not yet been confirmed by Israel. Families of Israeli hostages have expressed surprise and anger that Hamas did not hand over more bodies.

Some bodies are missing or under rubble and there will be an international effort to recover their remains. It's unclear how many bodies Hamas has currently in its possession. That's Daniel Estrin. It's NPR News. The army in Madagascar has seized power days after the president fled the island nation, citing threats on his life. Kate Bartlett reports a move comes after several weeks of massive anti-government demonstrations.

A colonel in an elite army unit has announced the military has taken over the country. His statement came minutes after members of parliament voted to impeach President Andrei Rajalina. Madagascar's youth took to the streets last month demanding Rajalina resign amid anger over water and electricity shortages crippling the country. Over the weekend, the Capsat military unit announced they had sided with the protesters. Rajalina then fled and is in hiding in an undisclosed location. The former French colony in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa is no stranger to rebellions. Rajalina himself first came to power as leader of a transitional government following a coup in 2009. He later ran for election and won.

For NPR news, I'm Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg. Brilliant autumn shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown are surfacing across the northeastern U.S., but leaves may be falling to the ground earlier this leaf peeping season. The U.S. drought monitor's map shows a vast majority of the country experienced abnormally dry to extreme drought earlier this month, but Andy Fenton, senior conservation ecologist with the Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts, tells the Associated Press,

autumn in New England, is still worth experiencing this year. I'm Lakshmi, saying NPR News.